The High Time Scandal
by Aeigns
Summary: Lets bring out what could have happened if Harry was the reason why his parents got together all the while changing Time-line cautiously with a certain blonde.
1. Chapter 1

The Gryffindor common room seemed to be the perfect place that evening where the house's spectators (especially those who are oblivious to the muggle issues) seems to be witnessing a Cold War and its rather hazardous effects at its wake. On one corner of the room a couple, purely under the will of their rather dominating teenage hormones, were relishing the better part of the rather tense evening. A large share of the third and fourth year boys were concentrating the state of attire of Lavender Brown while Ronald Billius Weasley, oblivious to his surroundings was working his rarely used brains to figure out some inventive ideas about devouring his girlfriend's face.

That said, lets describe the other part of the common room where the younger and mature students were focusing. Sitting at her desk and pretending to read her charms book was Hogwart's supposed Ravenclaw's incarnate, i.e., one Hermione Jane Granger. Sitting opposite to her in the warmth of the fire was the chosen-one or the boy-who-lived and many such ridiculous monikers, one Harry James Potter. But the rather friendly atmosphere that the two usually relished in was rather absent at the moment. The First years wondered what was so odd about them as the other years always gazed upon them in surprise. The fact they may not know is that the tense atmosphere they were witnessing right from their beginning of the year was a rarity or to some, even impossibility. The jovial nature of the friendship of Gryffindor's infamous "Golden Trio" has taken a huge blow from the beginning of the year. For what reason? None knows for sure; or maybe except one…

Harry was sitting and having a go-through to his Potions essay which was due the next week. It turns out that in the absence of Snape and with a rather jovial and a more encouraging instructor he was developing a morbid passion for his once hated subject. It all started with his sudden resolution in the summer at the Burrow after his meeting with Horace Slughorn.

Having learnt more about his mother that day rather than his entire life, Slughorn earned himself a rather special place in Harry's heart right from the beginning. Unknown to either his best friends and the Order, he started exchanging letters with old Potion's Master. What earned him more of Harry's undivided attention was that he seemed to be not at all restrained in exposing his parents' character. Sirius and Remus, being his father's best friend, never did expose any traits of his father's rather than all praises. Even more was told to him about his mother. He never pressed them that much for he knew this was still a sore topic to them. But still, that reasoning wasn't enough to quench his thirst about knowing his parents, especially when he never even knew their names for a better part of a decade, all thanks to the Dursleys.

Harry was beginning to come in terms to feel hopeless about ever knowing his parents truly. But it was at this desperate stage that Slughorn came to his rescue. Through all his letters Slughorn talked about his parents methodically. The first being with his familiar grounds, that is his mother - Lily Potter née Evans. A meritorious student, Slughorn highlighted her utter brilliance in Charms and excellence in Potions. She was also fairly gifted in Transfiguration as well as the best in Ancient Runes since when Albus Dumbledore was himself a student. But after reading through a page of his mother's achievements , Harry learnt of her flaws as stated by Slughorn – Defence Against the Dark Arts. Though very creative in using advance and regular charms in dueling, Slughorn mentioned Lily Evans as "sloppy and clumsy" enough to take ten stunners even before taking out her wand.

James Potter was what Slughorn considered an "enigma" he failed to "claim". Though not very brilliant in the art of brewing Slughorn mentioned to have witnessed some of his father's pranks where he higher-ed the use of potions that required the skills of brewing to a high optimum. He was a prodigy in Transfiguration and received the highest ever recorded OWLs in Arithmancy in the last couple of centuries. He was also a decent duelist right after the infamous Sirius Black who excelled in DADA.

Hearing these exploits of his parents Harry was a little ashamed of his own academic progress. He surprised himself by expressing his concerns to the recently higher-ed Professor, whom he had began to look forward to as a parental figure, though from his want or from his grief over Sirius' death he will never know.

Slughorn, being the ever helpful man he is, asked Harry if he would like to sit for his OWLs prepared for a second time to which he agreed. By pulling some strings through his influence in the Ministry, Slughorn managed to set a date at the first of August – right before a week from receiving his OWLs results. He had the entire of July and a couple of days in June to prepare himself. On the closing day of June, Slughorn sent his first ever package through his owl in which Harry found a doppelganger along with a note on how to use it and setting it to work from him for a couple of months. Along with them was also an old teapot that Slughorn mentioned to be a port-key that will trigger at the wake of July.

Setting for his "disappearance" Harry prepared for his trip and at precise twelve o' clock the port-key triggered and moments later he found himself in a flat. Slughorn was waiting there for him and made him familiar to his surroundings. He was made aware that he was in Slughorn's private trunk which was a gift to his family from the goblins and that it was actually a time chamber, wherein time of inside and outside can be counter-balanced. At that moment the time-fixation was a week outside to a couple of years inside. Getting ecstatic Harry was both excited and honored that the old Professor had let him in one of his deepest secrets that was never even disclosed to his most prized students.

Feeling the need to pay for the man's efforts, Harry delved himself into an academic fervor that he suppressed for a long time since he was punished by the Dursleys for out-performing Dudley at his pre-school. He let that continue even at Hogwarts for fear of loosing his friends, that is Ron for "showing him up" and Hermione for competing against her. Through a much needed counseling Slughorn first got him rid of these insecurities and then started dealing with his cemented grief of loosing Sirius. Once they were dealt with Slughorn made him begin with his previous year's courses first to strengthen his grip of the basic concept. Along with them Slughorn regularly drilled him into mastering the mind arts. While his core subjects of Charms, DADA and Transfiguration needed simple brushing up and a few of the Scholastic inputs from Slughorn (who proved himself to be a prodigy in nearly all fields), his concept of Potions was thoroughly crushed and renewed foundations replaced them.

At the end of three years, aided by Slughorn's rather impressive Library, Harry's academic fervor grasped a brilliant concept of all courses offered at Hogwarts until Fourth year, bar Runes and Arithmancy, and was also a master Occlumens and Legilimens (something which made Slughorn very ecstatic). It was then in the next three years that Slughorn started making Harry delve himself into the OWLs and NEWTs courses. He kept reading Herbology and Creatures by himself with valuable help from Slughorn's library. Runes and Arithmancy was thoroughly drilled into him by his mentor. Arithmancy was like solving Mathematics equations which he found rather easier than Runes and he eventually became proficient enough to frame new spells. He maintained a journal for each of his courses. He started maintaining a different one for his new spells. In a matter of two years the self-containing journal took the appearance of a tome which Slughorn found rather amusing, but one look at its contents had him swell in pride for his young charge. The book had four chapters – Creative, Defensive, Offensive and Dark. Through some serious prodding he made Harry confess his view of Dark Arts. That led another week of counseling in which Slughorn, after some minor disagreements, finally successfully hammered into Harry that its not the spell but the intent that can be evil - a knife may be used as a kitchen utensil or a murdering weapon.

Though it took time, but at the end of six years Harry was finally a prodigy in Creating and assembling a Runic Array, raising and dissolving advance Warding and proficient reading of almost all thirty categories of Runic Texts and Algorithms.

The final two years Slughorn insisted on divulging in the basic learning of Latin and Greek (the languages in which spells are created the most), and devoting on revising all that Harry learnt in his time there. Though initially targeting for a basic concept, by end of two years Harry was a proud master at reading and writing both the languages. In the last six months Slughorn also made Harry improve his Penmanship which did reform after some serious attention.

Under glamour charms and securing an oath from the Invigilator, Harry retook all courses offered at OWLs – including Muggle Studies, Divination and History of Magic (memorized for eight years at pass-time as replacement of a fantasy novel) which Slughorn suggested to gain more OWLs – an advice Harry simply can't pass.

After three exhausting days Harry took a break for four days – his first in eight years. Then he along with Slughorn re-entered the trunk for the rest of August, and in the remaining six years Slughorn made Harry master Apparation, Blood Magic, Alchemy, Kido, Wizarding Etiquette, Pureblood Etiquette, Pureblood Politics, Winzengamot administrations and, after some hesitation - Dark Magic, and along with them physical training, horse-riding, sword-manship and other weapon-handling. Harry's talent at catching things led Slughorn to introduce a new language at every six months. In six years Harry mastered French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Afrikaans, Mexican, Arabic, and finally after learning some ancient Indian spells – Hindi and the neglected but still the most ancient language of Sanskrit.

Slughorn also made Harry embrace his power of speaking Parseltongue and encouraged him in learning it which can be used in using both obscure spells as well as advance healing. He even pulled some of his contacts to buy a high-breed female cross of a basilisk and a coral for Harry to help him focus and channel his Parselmagic. The snake – Draciel – had all powers and self-resizing capabilities of a basilisk but with a exotic and beautiful body of a coral snake. The creature reminded Harry of Deadly Beauty. Though natural enemies, still Hedwig and Draciel hit it off at the first go (something Harry considered as a trait which he needed a pair of 'X' chromosomes to understand).

The same can't be said for Sebastian though. Harry found the griffin as his birthday present from Hagrid and none but he knew that the creature Hagrid mistook as a kneazle was actually a griffin cub who accidentally lost its wings. Immediately upon bonding Harry's magic cured all his physical injuries as well as matured him until he turned to a juvenile. His new powers helped him hide as a cute puppy and also has the ability to hide his new and stronger wings. But Saphira, his midnight phoenix, which unknown to all was now resting on his shoulder, met him at the Forbidden Forest and just as the majestic bird said, her ability to produce magic refilled his drastically halved core and grew his core to twice its size at the same time. It later on helped him in unlocking his two animaguses (thunder-bird and nundu), his Metamorphing ability and more than half his memory which he found were suspiciously locked but didn't investigate much.

The bonding of Dobby and Winky as his equals had them transform to a more humanly appearance which again took a lot from his reserve but this time Saphira came to his rescue earlier. He was taught Elvin and goblin magic by them as elfs know Gobbledygook for both the magics are in-canted in the same language. He used these two along with his Parselmagic and his wide knowledge of ritualism to cure his hair and all other physical problems along with his HAIR. It was luck again that his hair took most of his efforts and still though cured, but underneath the Metamorph glamour he was using now, he had perfect flawless hair a little bigger than his shoulder length but half of it was now blonde. He didn't cure it and let it be. The last eight months Harry finally devoted himself to all possible dark arts and rituals and perfected no less than twenty-nine lost mind arts he found from Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw's personal journals that Dobby recognized and swept under the oblivious gaze of their storekeeper who never knew their worth given they were written in a very ancient language or Parseltongue.

At the awake of midnight of September 1st Harry gave his temporary farewell to the person he considered his grandfather in all but blood and appeared beside a sleeping Ron to replace his Doppelganger.

On September 1st all the hustle at the Burrow prevented himself from the receiving end of scrutinizing gazes for the sudden change in his personality. From his duplicate-self's memory he gathered all that is necessary – including ensuring whether or not they received his secondary and void copy of OWLs. The most amusing of them was to find Hermione getting mortified at not receiving the highest grade in any subjects. He very well knew who did receive the highest marks in all subjects bar Herbology (which he believed was possibly Neville) and History of Magic (which he was better off at not knowing) – himself. But the shocking news had been to know that Hermione was overall sixth in their year.

Throughout the entire September month he borrowed Slughorn's time trunk and had successfully devoured the entire Black Library where Molly Weasley's influence had no effect due to the efforts of Kreacher. One Mundungus Fletcher would be in a lot of trouble when he finds that all Black Family heirlooms he had stolen and sold had suddenly "vanished" from those who had bought them and also that he can never enter No. 12 Grimmauld Palace alive ever. That being said, it brings us back to this first week of October amidst the Cold War when one of the greatest Historic moment of Hogwarts ever, commenced…


	2. Chapter 2

_October 3_ _rd_ _, 1976_

An excited James Potter, an ecstatic Sirius Black, an eager Peter Pettigrew and a rather reluctant Remus Lupin in a single room surrounding a book was a prospect very dangerous to be disturbed, as laid by the unofficial Hogwarts decrees of self-conduct.

They had Remus confiscate one of the books of the infamous Black Library from a certain Regulus Black that had many runic rituals and though many of them were utterly ruthless and horrible but still, they were far better than blood or sex rituals. One of them they found intriguing and it was to summon one's first-born along with their love interest (or interests as put in by Sirius so eloquently) following him/her in three weeks. Remus being the only one of the group decent enough in runes designed it with as much perfection he could master. James, the winner of the draw and the eager volunteer of the group, took his position in the center of the rune. The three inpatient Sixth Years gave Remus a hard time completing the distance range. Though confident that the ritual in itself was a fraud and thus a waste of time, Remus still did the hard deed with full concentration if only not to disappoint his friends.

Starting the incantation laying in the book they all got excited and it continued non-stop where Remus read out all the Norwegian runes fluently and after the completion of ten minutes concluded with a smirk on his smug face. Getting up with disgruntled looks they left the room and Sirius instructed the still smirking Remus to return the pile of filth to Regulus on the philosophy that all evils and dirt better lay in his family library rather than in Hogwarts (even be it Flitch's cabin).

They may never know, but at the same time another boy in his late teens with half ebony hair and half blonde, along with all his familiars and other possessions he blood-bonded to himself, materialized at the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

Lily Evans loved to read at the outskirts of Hogsmeade on every trip she got. Though the chilly weather, it was a sanctuary of her own where one a month she spends alone drowning in her beloved books. And that's exactly what she was doing now. Immersing herself in a romantic poetry written in Aztec Runes. So when this total stranger she never saw, came near the spot she was sitting at she was intrigued for it was a rare for a student to venture here leaving Hogshead. Confusion and worry evident in his face as he took in his surroundings. What Lily found further intriguing was that he had Gryffindor robes on. He looked a lot like Potter but what had Lily stopping herself from lashing out at him was his flawless hair, which though had a mixture of blonde with ebony but suited him, his killing physique, lack of companions and finally the grace and the air of calm with which he was walking.

His expression suddenly changed and he started hissing. Lily wouldn't have believed hadn't she saw it for herself but it seemed like he was conversing with someone. A cute and adorable puppy she didn't notice before started a grunting conversation with him. Finally he trilled out at nowhere in the air before cursing loudly in English. Lily found her curiosity growing with each action the stranger was taking. Out of seemingly nowhere he produced a wand and cast a… Tempus charm? Well that was unexpected. Panic took over him and he started shouting.

"What the hell? October 3rd 1976? **1976?** Okay Potter you can do it. You have faced much more before. Calm down, calm down now." And his face started getting schooled in an expressionless mask.

'Well so its Potter and one of his miss-happenings? I shouldn't have expected anything more.' Lily thought with a sigh. But that faint sound caught his ears and before she knew she was looking at his confusion filled eyes. The staring match continued and suddenly she found a soothing warmth flowing from his green eyes. 'Green eyes? But how come Potter have green eyes?" But try as she might she couldn't deny the feeling that somehow she was familiar to him. It was happening in such a trance as if there was a bond between them that isn't formed… yet.

Then he opened his lips and in a soft voice, unlike any she knew of the Potter she was familiar with, he said, "Mum… is that you?"

Lily was stunned. 'What did he just call me.' If she was still having any belief that it was Potter then it crashed right then and there. Potter, in no state of mind – which includes even under a Cruciatus, would call her mum.

"Pardon?" was all she could say before she heard a creaking sound. The stranger charged at her and she thought he was charging to attack him. It happened so fast that she never registered his position, drawing her wand be damned, before he roughly threw her off her place and she landed at a distance. Full intending to give this mongrel stranger a piece of her mind, and having not registered the sound of the crash, she turned around only to freeze in her place.

The stranger was lying there in a pool of blood with a big branch over him and his puppy nearby trying to drag him out from beneath the branch. It was then that she realized that the boy had her out of there to protect her. But why? He had green eyes, cursed after casting a Tempus and called her 'mum'. Then could it really be her… no it cant be. Its not possible. But one thing even Lily Evans knew was that nothing seems impossible when aided with magic. Well son from future or not Lily has to save her savior – she after all owed him her life.

It was then that she suddenly saw the boy lift the branch and slowly turned to his back. But before anything, she saw him loose his consciousness. She quickly dashed to his side to help him and found a strange scar etched on his forehead. Suddenly she found her surroundings change and in a flame she found herself in the infirmary where fortunately or not she found both Madam Pompfrey and the Headmaster at the far end. The bloodied body in Hogwarts uniform was enough for Poppy to come out of her musings and start working on the boy.

Lily meanwhile was satisfying the knowledge of the curious Headmaster who found himself intrigued with the boy's sudden appearance out of nowhere. Listening to all she said and deducing the possibility of the person being a time traveler Albus set on searching what he loved to search – answers. He found the stranger's trunk with a beautiful snowy white owl on it. He was shocked when after scanning it he found it blood bounded with signature akin to the traveler. Still it gave him some tests and quickly collecting a drop of Lily's blood from her, he dropped it on the trunk. The trunk glowed for a full minute before returning to normal. Scanning again he was mildly surprised to find the bound allowing entry. He asked lily to go forward and check if the trunk let her entry. She moved and Albus watched her every step until she slowly but successfully opened its lead. That was enough for Albus to know he was related to Lily, and very nearly for the ward to accept her entry. The second lid he found though was a very foreign ward, and the fact he didn't knew its origin had Albus both intrigued and interested on this possible time traveler.

Suddenly in a flash of blue flames a majestic and regal looking phoenix materialized and perched itself on his headboard. Albus's respect for the grew ten-folds. Not only was the phoenix a surety of his pure heart but bonding a phoenix, and a midnight breed at that, was a feat even he couldn't dream of. Coming out of his musings, while the others were still staring at it in awe, his gaze fell on his golden claws that was holding out a regal-looking piece of parchment in it. Reaching out and taking the offered parchment Albus was in for another shock when he recognized that it was a precious paper higher-ed for administrating Inheritance tests.

Slowly retrieving the boy's blood he dropped it on the parchment. It glowed and then writings appeared on it as six pairs of eyes settled on the paper.

 ** _Name –_** _Harry James Potter_

 ** _Father's Name –_** _James Charlus Potter_

 ** _Mother's Name –_** _Lily Rosa Potter (née Evans)_

 ** _Godfathers' name –_** _Sirius Orion Black & Remus John Lupin __& Peter Oscar Pettigrew_

 ** _Godmother's Name –_** _Alice Anna Longbottom (née Dagerford)_

 ** _Birthday –_** _July 31_ _st_ _, 1980_

 ** _Heir to –_**

 ** _The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter (_** _Parental_ _ **)**_

 ** _The Most Ancient and Noble House of Peverrel (_** _Parental_ _ **)**_

 ** _The Most Ancient and Noble House of Gryffindor (_** _Parental_ _ **)**_

 ** _The Most Ancient and Noble House of Daniels (_** _Maternal; was inactive due to absence of a male head of house)_

 ** _The Most Ancient and Noble House of Evanss (_** _Maternal; was inactive due to absence of a male head of house)_

 ** _The Most Ancient and Noble House of Slytherin (_** _Maternal; By conquest_ _ **)**_

 ** _The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black (_** _through Godfather_ _ **)**_

...

But before they could continue anything more the parchment burnt to flames. Looking up he found the phoenix gave him a look that seemed to convey that certain things must be kept untouched. Albus couldn't agree more for he felt everyone must have their secrets and privacy and he had enough information on the identity of the intruder and the knowledge that he wasn't harmful. So all was well.

Meanwhile certain buttons hit home in Lily's head and she all but yelled, "Lily Potter née Evans? **_Potter née Evans?_** I'm married to the prat?"

Okay all will be well once he calmed a certain irate witch. "Not 'am' Ms. Evans, 'will be'. Not very surprising too given the feat he had conquered. After all he must have needed your brains and Mr. Potter senior's mischievousness to accomplish something like this. Great indeed."

The female members of the infirmary –Poppy and Saphira, rolled their eyes in unison. Albus Dumbledore may be a lot of things, but calming a panicking witch was not in his league. Saphira in a single jump settled on Lily's shoulder and started trilling a soft note so beautifully that it would have Fawkes envious. Realizing his presence wasn't needed and he was very well as dismissed Albus walked towards his office with a lot to process and to start arrangements for a "replaced" student.


End file.
